Petty Cash

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Petty Cash

Authority:

Business Affairs and University Services

Date enacted or revised:

Revised February, 2016

General

On occasion, it may be necessary for University employees to use their personal funds to make purchases for University. Employees may be reimbursed for these personally incurred expenditures when they are in compliance with this policy. Reimbursements will be processed through the Cashiers Office Petty Cash Fund located in Smith Hall. Students may not incur expenses for the University.

Purpose

To ensure that an adequate system of internal control over the reimbursement of personal funds expended on behalf of the University is maintained.

Scope

These policies and procedures are applicable to all McNeese employees who use personal funds on behalf of the University.

Objective

To safeguard McNeese State University accounts against waste, fraud, and inefficiency.

To ensure a high level of accuracy and reliability in the accounting records.

To reduce the opportunity for errors or losses without incurring unreasonable additional costs for the increments of internal controls established.

Audit

Petty cash records are subject to an audit anytime by the Internal Auditor.

Allowed Expenditures

Employees may be reimbursed only for expenditures that meet an allowed University purpose. The expenditure must be approved in advance by the Budget Unit Head before being incurred. The reimbursement request must be accompanied and appropriately supported by an original purchase receipt that is in compliance with all provisions of this policy.

Unallowed Expenditures

No single purchase may exceed $100. Simultaneous purchases (stringing) may not be made to circumvent these limitations.

Petty cash may not be reimbursed for:

Payment for services performed by employees or non employees

Personal expenses

Personal loans and cashing personal checks

Travel

Gifts

Buying hazardous materials

Faculty dues

Social or travel club dues

University parking permits (personal expense)

Traffic citations

Interest charges

Food purchases

Alcoholic beverages may not be reimbursed by federal or state government either directly on a contract or grant account, or indirectly through the indirect cost rate calculation

Cash Reimbursment Procedures

The employee receives permission from the Budget Unit Head (Administrator, Dean, or Department Head) to make a cash purchase from personal funds.

The employee submits the petty cash voucher with the proper original receipt to the Budget Unit Head for the signature and date.

The completed petty cash voucher form with receipts is sent to the designated Accounts Payable employee for coding verification and budget approval and then forwarded to the cashier for reimbursement to the employee.

The cashier has the employee sign and date the petty cash voucher to indicate that the employee received the money.

The cashier signs and dates the voucher to indicate that it was paid.

The cashier retains the petty cash voucher and receipt to use as documentation to replenish the Cashiers Office Petty Cash Fund.

Communication

Communication of this policy is done via the Administrative Advisory Council, the University Listserv, the Student Listserv and is available on the McNeese website.